TPWD 1959 F-6-R-6 #514: Resurvey of the Waters of Region 8-B: Job Completion Report, Project F-6-R-6

Report of Fisheries investigations Resurvey 0f the Waters of Region 8wBa by Charles Menu Assistant Project Leader BingellmJehnsen ProJect FméwaS, Jeb Bull July 1, 1958 a June 305 1959 H0 De Dodgen m Executive Secretary Texas Gems and Fish Commissien Rustin, Texss 4-1 .Msrien Tools Kenneth Ca Jsrgens s William Hm Esswn Coordinator Assistsnt Sesssissters Job Completion Report State Of TEXAS Project No, F-6eR-6 Names. Fisheries Investigations and Surveis of the waters of Region eBe Job Not Bell Title: Resurvex of the Waters of Region 8~B. Period Covered: July l, 1958 e June 30, 1959 Abstract: During the period from July 1, l958 through Jane 30, 1959, five lakes including Falcon Lake, Lake Corpus Christi, Bentsen State Park Lake, Llano Grands Lake, and Campacuas Lake were reserveyedo . In Falcon Lake, rough fish appeared to be increasing in numbers but decreasing in weightso Water levels varied approximately 20 feet during the first half of this sage mento This was generally higher than in the previous segmento The rough fish in Lake Corpse Christi appeared to he increasing in numbers although sports fishermen continued to have better than average success in catching black bass 1nd white crappieo The lake level remained relatively constant daring the year, varying less than 10 feet, as compared to the previous yearis flnctnation of about 15 feeto The deeper water of the new lake aided in clearing up the water, to some extent, which will be favorable to the hlack.hass popnlationo A total of l64,000 black bass fingerlings and fry and 6,000 channel catfish fingerlings were planted in the lake during the year to supplement the existing populationo Three netting collections made on Bentsen Stai to Park Lake daring this segment indicate that rough fish at present dominate the fish population as a result oi intr0m ductions from the Rio Grande River daring the fall flood of l9580 A complete kill of fish should he made and the lake restocked with game fisho Netting samples on Llano trends and Campacnas Lakes, after rotenone treatment, showed that rough fish were greatly reduced in numbers and weights but a complete kill of fish was not obtainedo A total of 10, 300 channel catfish fingerlings was stocked in Campacnas Lake and a total of 20, 000 channel catfish and 13,500 black bass finger“ lings was stocked in llano Grands Lakeo Objectives: To determine the present status of waters and fish populations which have been previously surveyed in Project Fuéwfit Procedure: Fish samples were collected hy means of standard experimental gill nets and small mesh minnow seines in Falcon Lake and Bentsen State Park Lake; only netting collections were made on Lake Corpus Christi and Llano Grande and Campacuas Lakes, Netted specimens were weighed and measured in the fieldo Sex, state of sexual development and the occurrence of parasites of the individual Specimens were also noted and recorded in the field. Seined specimens were preserved in 10% formalin and taken to the regional fisheries laboratory for identification, Findings: Falcon Lake During_the segment period 1h gill net and h seine collections of fish spec- imens were made on Falcon Lake, All of the nets were set at the surface in water ranging from IO to 70 feet in depth, Of the 1h gill net collections, 2 were made in August 1958 and 12 were made in March 19590 The results of the gill net collections are presented in Figures 1 through to Those of the seine collections are given in Figure 5 and the variations in lake level are shown on the chart in Figure 6, On the basis of netting data collected in March 1959, compared with comparable data collected in March of 1958 (see Tables XV and XVI, Job Completion Report for Job B-ll, Project F—6lRe5) it appears that the relative abundance of those species con» sidered rough fish continue to increase, They comprised 79,29 percent of the fish netted in March 1958 and increased to 82,88 percent of the fish netted in March 1959, The relative weight of these species, however, has decreaseda Of the fish species netted during March 1959, there were four noticeable changes compared with the data for netting in March of 1958, Gizzard shad, Iorosoma cepedianum, increased in the net catch from 23,37 percent of the total fish netted to 52,05 perm cent, This was an increase of 38,69 percent of the total fish taken in nets, Similarly this species increased 6,57 percent of the total weight of the netted fisho The long- nose gar, Lepisosteus osseus, increased by 10,81 percent of the total number and 28,91 percent of the weighto The smallmouth buffalo, Ictiobus bubalus, on the other hand, decreased 19,82 percent of the number and 33,0h percent of the weight, The only other significant change was the reduction in the relative abundance of white bass, Roccus chr sops, in the total fish netted, White bass dropped 9oll percent by number and 12.35 percent by weight compared with data for the same period in 1958, The apparent increases and reductions in relative abundance and weight of the species mentioned may be explained in part by the fact that all of the nets set in March of 1959 were surface sets, This would account for the larger number of longnose gars taken and would be reflected in number and weight figures, Since no comparable data exists for August of 1957 the data collected for August 1958 need not be mentioned except to point out that they also indicate a relatively large number of rough fish in Falcon Lake. In the four seining collections made on Falcon Lake in March 1959, tidewater silversides (Menidia beryllina), the most abundant species collected, comprised 78,59 percent of the total number and threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense) comprised 18,91 percent. Redhorse shiners (hotropis lutrensis), sea pupfish Cyprinodon variegatus) and black bass (Micropterus salmoidesi combined comprised only 2,5 percent of fish taken in the seine collections iFigure 5). No earlier comparable seine collections were available, Water levels varied approximately 21 feet during the period from July through December 1958, 'Water levels, recorded at lOmday intervals, given in Figure 6, indicate the lake was lowest during the latter part of August and highest in midm October, The water levels for the second half of this segment will be included in the Completion Report for Job Bell, Project Feoefim?o Lake Corpus Christi During October and November 1958, a total of 15 experimental gill nets were set in Lake Corpus Christi, The hOO fish, of 15 species, taken in the gill net collections are shown by species in Figure 7, The minimum, maximum and average lengths, as well as the weight ranges {in grams) and ”K" factors of these fish are presented in Figure 8, Of the #00 fish collected, game fish comprised approximately 38 percent of the total number and 25 percent of the weight, in comparing these results with comparable data for 1957, game species showed a slight decrease in numbers and weight (see Job Completion Report, Job B=ll, FeémRe5, Tables ill and Eh}, According to the netting samples, two significant changes regarding the rough species occurred, Spotted gar, Lepisosteus_productus, increased by 12,36 percent of the total fish netted and gizzard shad, Dorosoma cepedianum, decreased by 7,7? percent, Similarly, channel catfish, lctalurus punctatus, showed an increase of 6,38 percent and white crappie, Pomoxis annularis, decreased 7oh8 percent, In spite of the apparent decrease in overall game fish numbers, sports fishermen report taking large numbers of largemouth bass {Micropterus salmoides) and white crappie, Water level data for Lake Corpus Christi, obtained from the Lower Nueces River Water Supply District, were fairly constant as compared with those for the previous year, The lowest level, recorded on July l, l958, was 82,61 feet above mean sea level, This was at a time when the new lake was beginning to fill, The highest level, 89,58 feet, was recorded on October 9, 1958, Figure 9 contains water level data for Lake Corpus Christi, recorded at lOeday intervals, for the period from July 1958 through June 1959, The crest of the new dam, completed in April 19§8, is 88 feet as compared to the 7% foot crest of the old dam, The water in the lane, during this segment, was cone siderably clearer than in the previous segment prohahlp due to enlargement of the lake, the addition of approximately it feet of water, and a relatively constant lake level, The clearer water, within limits, should provide hatter bass fishing due to better conditions for spawning and growing, Turbidity readings, in terms of light penetration in inches measured with a Secchi dish, were made on the lake at special stations set up for that purpose, Figure 11 gives the Secchi dish readings made in July 1958, and March 1959, After filling and flood silts settled, the lake had a brown discoloration probably due to decaying organic substances of the new lake bottom, A total of 29 readings was made at 17 stations during the year {Figure l0), The minimum reading was 19 inches and the maximum was he inches, with a mean average reading of 260l9 inches, In previous work, it was found that the minimum reading was 9 inches and the maximum was 28 inches with an average of ll056 inches, A total of 16 water analyses were made at five locations on the late during )ctober and November, l958 {Figure l0}, The water samples, taken from the surface and, where possible, down to 30 feet in depth were analysed for oxygen, carbon dioxide, methyl orange alkalinity, phmth alkalinity, and pH, The results of these tests, given in Figure 12, are normal for this region and apparently are little different from the old lake, A total of lGfi,OOO largemouth bass and 6,000 channel catfish was stocked in the lake during the year, On July 11, 1958, 1h,600 fingerling bass were stocked in the upper part of the lake where sufficient cover and food were availablec These fish were obtained from the Medina State Fish Hatchery, On March 10, 1959, 150,000 black bass fry from the 01mito State Fish Hatchery were stocked at four locations on the lake to supplement the existing populationo Also, 6,000 channel catfish fingerlings from the Olmito State Hatchery were stocked on October 21, 1958, Bentssn State Park Lake A total of 70 fish of 8 species was taken in three experimental gill nets during this segment, The netting samples showed that rough fish comprised 80,00 percent of the total number and 86,62 percent of the weighto The three gill nets were set in water ranging from 6 to 2% feet in depth, During the basic survey, made in 195h and 1955, largemouth bass were reported present, but in small numberso None was taken by gill nets or minnow seinss during the present rssurveyo In October and November 1958, high floodwatsrs on the Rio Grande River, less than a mile from the lake, owerflowed into this ox~how lake and prdbably caused considerable changes in the fish population, Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) was the only game species found in this resurrey, and they comprised 20,00 percent of the total fish netted, Figure 13 presents the results of netting collections including the numbers and weights of the fish taken by specieso The minimum, maximum and average lengths as well as the "K? factors of the fish taken in these collections are shown in Figure 1%. A total of M30 fish of 9 species was taken in two seining collections using a 20~foot "common sense" minnow seine, h—fset deep with fieinch mesho The most abundant species taken was Gambusia affinis which comprised TTOHM percent of the number, Figure 15 shows the numbers and percent of fish taken in the two seining collections made in April I959, In View of the large percentage of rough fish present, this lake should be chem» ically treated to remove the present fish population and desirable game fish restocked, Since immediate~daflger of a major flood seems slight, renovation of Bentssn State Park Lake should result in a very good and popular fishing lake, Llano Grands and Campacuas Lakes Two natural lakes lying in the Llano Grands Floodway, Campacuas and Llano Grande Lakes, were chemically treated with 5% rotenons in May 1959 (Project F-lh-D, Jab 16a- 18) to remove the existing fish population which was found to be approximately 89,00 percent rough fish and 11.00 percent game fish (Project Feéwfl—é, Job 3—12; Table III, page 13), Approximately one month after the treatment of these lakes, nine experimental gill nets were set in Campacuas Lake, which took a total of 2b fish of 8 species, The ten nets set in Llano Grands Lake took 69 fish of 6 species, All fish taken, with the exception of the warmouth bass (Chasndbrittns gulosus}, are considered undesirable species, Figure 16 gives the numbers and weights of fish taken in Campacuas Lake in June 1959, European carp (Cyprinus carpio), warmouth bass, and Rio Grande cichlid (Cichlasoma czanoguttatum) were found to be the most abundant species present in the lake after the chemical treatment, Figure 17 gives the numbers and weight of fish taken in Llano Grands Lake in June 1959, According to this table, alligator gar (Lepisosteus spatula), gizzard shed, and carp were the most numerous fishes taken, It is apparent that a total kill of fish in both lakes was not Obtained, but large numbers of undesirable fish were removed, Figure 18 shows the success of netting in Campacuas and Llano Grande Lakes in June 1959, According to this table, an average of less than 5 fish per not were caught as compared to over 25 fish per not before the chemical treatment (Project moms-«6, Job B~l25 Table VIII, page 18),, On June 2%, 1959, 20,000 channel catfish fingerlings were stocked at six locations on Llano Grands Lake and 10,000 channel catfish fingerlings (about 1 to lé~inches long) were stocked at h locations on Campacuas Lake, On June 25, 1959, 10,500 black bass fingerlings (approximately 2 to h inches long) were stocked at six locations in Llano Grands Lake, Black bass for stocking Campacuas Lake were unavailable during this report period, Four Sscchi disk readings, which were taken on Campacuas Lake during this resurwsy, showed that the water was a little clearer after the treatment but not as clear as had been expected, Wave action and the few remaining fish probably contributed to the turbidity, The Secchi disk readings ranged from 10% to ll inches as compared to 8 inches during the basic survey, No additional.water analyses were made on Campacuas Lake, Six Secchi disk readings were taken on Llano Grands Lake during this resurvey; they ranged from 8 to 26 inches as compared to 5% to 11 inches before the treatment of the lake, Llano Grands Lake had a green, ”bloom” appearance during this resurwey, This was prdbably dns to the influx of waste water from the City of Mission sewage treatment plant upstream, Figure 19 shows the success of gill netting on the five lakes reserveysd this segment, According to this table, almost twice as many fish were taken in gill nets as the previous resurvey on Lake Corpus Christi using the same number of nets, Prepared by Charles Mann Approved by 2% :W JM/é/ Assistant Project Leader Director Inland Fisheries Division Date January 28: 1960 awmseo H. 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